Nature.com published a study in 2018 showing that homeopathic remedy Rhus Toxicondendron (also called Rhus Tox) impacts neuropathy. In a highly controlled experiment the homeopathically prepared remedy clearly had an effect.

The study stated: “Despite the availability of multiple therapeutic agents, the search for novel pain management of neuropathic pain is still a challenge. Oxidative stress and inflammatory signaling are prominently involved in clinical manifestation of neuropathic pain. Toxicodendron pubescens, popularly known as Rhus Tox (RT) is recommended in alternative medicines as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic remedy. “

The study went on to conclude:

“In summary, this study substantiated the antinociceptive potential of RT (Rhus Tox) ultra-dilutions in the validated model of CCI-induced peripheral neuropathic pain. Interestingly, RT (Rhus Tox) was found to be efficacious in reducing not only the thermal nociception but also the mechanical allodynia in rats. RT demonstrated notable anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in the sciatic nerve and exhibited potential free radical scavenging activity that would reduce its anti-neuropathic activity. Attenuated oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways may contribute to the therapeutic potential of RT in the treatment of neuropathic pain. Although, the results of present study suggested the anti-neuropathic effect of RT, further pre-clinical and clinical studies are warranted to confirm these effects. Several other biochemical mechanisms may be involved in RT mediated anti-neuropathic effect. Results of present study are suggestive of the anti-nociceptive effect of RT against neuropathic pain and deserve further validation of its effectiveness in various painful conditions.”

One of the darkest efforts in “science” is the way Wikipedia treats homeopathy. No experts on homeopathy are allowed to edit the wikipedia entry. As a result, amateurs pound out a negative and innaccurate pharmaceutically driven party line against homeopathy.

The first conclusions of the Australian Research Council were positive about homeopathy. As a result, known anti-homeopathy members of the Council squashed the report and then released a very negative report.

You can positively deal with this outrage now and get the Australian Government and Council (NHMRC) to release the first report. Releasethefirstreport.com is a web site you can go to make your voice heard and read about the whole controversy.

The Society of Homeopaths in the United Kingdom reports: “Homeopaths in Australia have launched a global campaign calling on the government there to publish the first version of a review of homeopathy which they claim was deliberately ‘buried’.

The existence of the first report only came to light through a Freedom of Information request (FoI), although its contents have not been published. Campaigners say that the decision to suppress it and use a different methodology for the second review raises serious questions.

Justifying its decision not to publish the first report, NHMRC said its quality was poor, despite the research being carried out by the scientist who had written the council’s own guidelines on conducting evidence reviews.

The new campaign, Releasethefirstreport.com, is calling for the publication of the original, publicly-funded review in the name of transparency and to give the public access to all available evidence about homeopathy ‘so that they can make informed choices about their healthcare’.

An earlier Your Health, Your Choice campaign which highlighted the ‘flaws’ in the published report and drew public attention to the need to protect access to complementary and alternative medicines in Australia, led to 87,000 people signing a petition.

One of the biggest false criticisms of homeopaths is that they will prevent someone or a child from getting emergency or acute medical care while they are doing homeopathy. This has been disproven both in the UK and in India.

In India, where homeopathy is well established, homeopaths work in hospitals and clinics side by side with conventional medical doctors. And when someone sees a professional homeopath in the UK they get MORE engaged in their health care and are in fact, MORE likely to seek diagnosis and care from conventional medical facilities. Homeopaths encourage seeing a medical doctor and getting conventional testing during homeopathic treatment.

But more importantly and tragically, the deflection that pharmaceutically funded skeptic groups are practising is to take away the heat from the fact that the over the counter medication business is BIG BUSINESS. They want to protect that. Last year 34.5 BILLION US dollars in the USA was spent on over the counter medications. Here in the UK over 2.47 BILLION British pounds was spent last year on over the counter medications. [statistica.com]

This is an enormous amount and the sales of over the counter medications encourages self diagnosis and self medication by MILLIONS of people. Even cortisone laden drugs are now available over the counter. This type of activity is advertised and PROMOTED by drug companies. It is too easy for someone to give their children an over the counter medication for a serious problem rather than seeing a professional. Skeptics would like you to ignore that inconvenient truth.

And lets not forget that there are many terrible side effects from these over the counter drugs. Tragically, the leading cause of liver failure in children is Paracetamol also called acetaminophen.

So lets get real. Homeopathy has an incredible 200 year history of safety and efficacy. Registered homeopaths are conscientious professionals you can rely upon for safe and effective medical care in conjunction with conventional diagnostic resources.

Canadian Broadcasting Company or Canadian funded reporters are on a mission to destroy homeopathy and anyone who criticizes their reporters. First a reporter for the CBC as it is called in Canada, wrote an article decrying the practice of homeopathy and frequently describes homeopathic remedies as “sugar pills”. In the first article she bitterly complains there is nothing in those “sugar pills”.

Then after Anke Zimmerman ND, a naturopath who practises homeopathy wrote a well written response to the reporter’s first article, the reporter made a vindictive attack on this lovely hardworking Canadian naturopath.

On Anke Zimmerman’s web site she describes a profound cure of a child with severe neurobehavioral problems who was treated by the remedy Lyssin which is a homeopathic energetic resonance of rabies.The reporter then goes to various public government officials telling them that this practitioner is giving actual “rabies” to children and asking their opinion. The reporters continue to discuss this remedy and all homeopathic remedies as if they had something in them. An exact opposite of the first attack based on “nothing in them.” The reporter knew full well that homeopathic Lyssin, has no trace of rabies in it but is rather an energetic imprint or message of it.

Unfortunately, objective reporting and fairness as demonstrated numerous times in the recent past goes out the window in the sponsored attack on homeopathy.

This would have been and still is an opportunity to educate the public about the profound and positive curative effects of homeopathic energetic remedies.

Homeopathy has an over 200 year history of effectiveness and safety. It is used by tens of millions of people worldwide with satisfactory and even brilliant results for both acute and chronic conditions.

Luc Montagnier won the Nobel prize for discovering the AIDS virus. A documentary on Luc Mondagnier’s transmission of an imprint in water, showing that water can have a memory, was successfully done on French television.

The anti-homeopathy report published by the Australian Research Council has been questioned by their scientific experts and others. The HRI make some impressive points and bring up significant doubts about the report’s validity which have yet to be addressed by the Australian Council.

NHMRC did the homeopathy review twice, producing two reports, one in July 2012 and the one released to the public in March 2015.

The existence of the first report has never been disclosed to the public – it was only discovered through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.

NHMRC say they rejected the first report because it was poor quality despite it being undertaken by a reputable scientist and author of NHMRC’s own guidelines on how to conduct evidence reviews.

FOI requests have revealed that a member of NHMRC’s expert committee overseeing the review process – Professor Fred Mendelsohn – confirmed the first review to be high quality saying – “I am impressed by the rigor, thoroughness and systematic approach given to this evaluation [….] Overall, a lot of excellent work has gone into this review and the results are presented in a systematic, unbiased and convincing manner.”

NHMRC said the results of the second report published in 2015 were based on a “rigorous assessment of over 1800 studies”. In fact results were based on only 176 studies.

NHMRC used a method that has never been used in any other review, before or since. NHMRC decided that for trials to be ‘reliable’ they had to have at least 150 participants and reach an unusually high threshold for quality. This is despite the fact that NHMRC itself routinely conducts studies with less than 150 participants.

These unprecedented and arbitrary rules meant the results of 171 of the trials were completely disregarded as being ‘unreliable’ leavingonly 5 trials NHMRC considered to be ‘reliable’. As they assessed all 5 of these trials as negative, this explains how NHMRC could conclude that there was no ‘reliable’ evidence.

Professor Peter Brooks, Chair of the NHMRC committee that conducted the 2015 review, signed conflict of interest formdeclaring he was not “affiliated or associated with any organisation whose interests are either aligned with or opposed to homeopathy”,despite being a member of anti-homeopathy lobby group ‘Friends of Science in Medicine’

NHMRC’s guidelines state that such committees must include experts on the topic being reviewed, yet there was not one homeopathy expert on this committee.

In this video, Gemma Hoefkens describes her amazing experience of being treated by homeopathy whilst having end stage terminal brain cancer. After conventional treatment was given to no avail, she was given months to live. Her homeopathic treatment led to a remarkable improvement to the point where she studied and became a homeopath.

A study published in the International Journal of Medical and Health Research has shown that the Malaria Nosode and the homeopathic remedies Malaria officialis and China officialis inhibits heme crystallization in Malaria infections. The study was done at the Department of Pharmacology in Nair Ch. Hospital, Mumbai, India.

The study has shown anti-disease activity of an ultra-dilute (potentized) homeopathic preparation. The Malaria nosode prepared by potentizing Plasmodium falciparum organisms has demonstrated antimalarial activity, which supports the basic principle behind homeopathy, the law of similar.

Digestion of hemoglobin in the food vacuole of the malaria parasite produces very high quantities of redox active toxic free heme. Hemozoin (beta-hematin) formation is a unique process adopted by Plasmodium species to detoxify free heme. Hemozoin formation is a validated target for most of the well- known existing antimalarial drugs and considered to be a suitable target to develop new anti-malarial agents. The possible mechanisms of free heme detoxification in the malaria parasite and the mechanistic details of compounds, which offer antimalarial activity by inhibiting hemozoin formation, is the current area of research.

In the given study, all the three samples Malaria nosode 30c (coded as PFA), Malaria officinalis 30c and China officinalis 30c exhibited inhibition of hemozoin and the inhibition was greater than the positive control Chloroquine diphosphate used in the study. All the three samples when used in various combinations also exhibited inhibition greater than the positive control. The vehicle controls alcohol and potentized alcohol had also exhibited inhibition but the inhibition of samples was greater than the controls used.

Public health expert, Dana Ullman has written an article on Mercola.com that is critical of the United States Food and Drug Agency for going after homeopathic remedies instead of dealing with the pharmaceutical industry’s serious problems.

On this web site we have written a number of articles on how the pharmaceutical industry and medical industry attacks homeopathy to deflect the dangerous effects of pharmaceutical drugs. Even though homeopathy has a remarkable 200 year history of safety, the FDA, which is supposed to deal with these issues, is doing the same. This is to deflect its inability to deal with pressing issues that are causing serious harm and death such as the opioid crisis and conventional pharmacuetical drugs that have caused thousands of serious side effects including death for those taking them. Since homeopathic remedies have such a profound history of safety, (especially relative to the pharmaceutical industry), the only way they can create more regulations for homeopathic remedies is to judge that homeopathic remedies “might” cause problems.

Dana Ullman, MPH, Masters of Public Health says:

The FDA does not have a history of going after any Big Pharma company on the grounds that a drug “might” cause problems (some potential problems of the FDA prohibiting access to certain homeopathic medicines based on theoretical grounds are discussed later in this article). The previous FDA guidelines have been in use since 1988, and these guidelines provide specificity as to how homeopathic medicines can be marketed and sold.
In contrast, the new guidelines seem to allow the FDA to provide enforcement based on a vague and undefined “risk/benefit” that could change from one year or decade to another. Further, homeopathic medicines have an impressive record of safety, with relatively rare exceptions.

A public university in Quebec Canada called McGill University and a professor there named Joe Schwarcz received millions of dollars of funding by the head of a pharmaceutical company. It was to scientifically “investigate homeopathy”. By giving the money to a public institution it was therefore tax deductible.

This head of the pharmaceutical company, also funds other anti homeopathy skeptic groups. Mr. Scwarcz was a known skeptic and opponent of homeopathy and of course a fair and scientific investigation by him from the outset was impossible.

In fact, it appears no real scientific investigation has taken place. Instead Mr. Scwarcz continued to attack homeopathy (which he was doing before) and even took out ads in major Canadian newspapers to increase the newly funded attack. He espouses that pharmaceutical medicine is the only scientific medicine.

Mr. Scwarcz has made sure that no one finds out that one of the leading research chemists and scientists was so impressed with homeopathy that he decided to study it. Dr Lionel R Milgrom BSc, MSc, PhD, CChem, FRSC, LCH, MARH, RHom. is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and his research and articles are highly cited in leading science journals. Dr. Migrom expertly and persuasively contends that there is a definitive scientific basis for homeopathy. He joins many other professors, researchers, scientists as well as highly trained medical doctors and specialists who are very pro-homeopathy.

Media outlets have not contacted any of the multitude of these scientists and researchers to get a pro-homeopathy comment. Instead, Mr. Scwarcz and his cohorts have, with deep pockets, dominated the media discussion on homeopathy.

With the most recent pharmaceutical industry sourced funding going to the University of McGill the question that is being asked is- ‘Is a Canadian public institution therefore supporting and sponsoring attacks on Homeopathy?’

The Lancet, a medical journal here in the UK, has published a study concerning heart stents. Half the participants received a surgical procedure with a stent installed but then half got a “placebo” surgical procedure and in the end, did not get the heart stent put in. The results showed that both those with a stent and those without continued to experience angina heart pain after the procedure.

The study is problematic on two counts. First, tens of thousands of patients have procedures where stents are put in with the idea that it will reduce heart pain and now it is found that putting in a stent is all but useless for that.

Second, ethically, The Lancet gave approval to this study where there were serious complications from a “placebo” surgery, but surgery none the less. As the study said: “Serious adverse events included four pressure-wire related complications in the placebo group, which required PCI, and five major bleeding events, including two in the PCI group and three in the placebo group.”

In contradistinction, Homeopathy has an over 200 year record of safety and efficacy. And the pharmaceutical, medical industry represented by The Lancet is in a fight against safe and effective homeopathy. The Lancet published a poorly cobbled together study on homeopathy, knowing the author was biased against homeopathy and the study poorly done. Experts have called the study a sham but Lancet continues its fight against safe homeopathy and supports dangerous procedures to show that double blind studies are the only arbiter of efficacy.

With Homeopathy having very positive clinical results, popularity and an increase in its market share in emerging economies the medical industry had a great fear. As a result, the conventional pharmaceutical industry started a subterfuge campaign against homeopathy stating it was unscientific and therefore more dangerous than conventional medical drugs and procedures. This was without any real substantiation. They would have you believe that it is more dangerous to take a homeopathic remedy than to get surgery. And obviously it has come to the place where the standard of care for The Lancet medical journal is surgery over safe alternatives, even sham surgery that injures.

A documentary called “Magic Pills”, showing how homeopathy is practised world wide and the multitude of successful scientific research studies is about to be released. It also shows how much of this positive research on homeopathy has been suppressed.

Here is a quote from the web site for Homeopathy and The Magic Pills Movie:

Our current medical system is broken. It focuses on profits and disease, rather than people and wellness. It has few answers for chronic illness, and many of the treatments have side effects that can be worse than the original illness they’re meant to treat.

Homeopathy could be one of the more affordable and effective forms of medicine available. It’s been used to treat everything from Cancer to AIDS and even to prevent disease with very compelling results. There is an increasing body of evidence in the scientific literature to support the 200 years of clinical homeopathic experience, but this evidence is concealed and falsely ridiculed by a system afraid of alternatives.

At the end of the new documentary on homeopathy “Just One Drop,” there is a section on the 2015 study about the scientific validity of homeopathy done by The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council. The Research Council published a negative conclusion that got world wide press.

As reported in the documentary, a subsequent investigation done by an Australian individual and other Australian homeopathy groups showed that the Council’s researchers involved in this study were terribly biased and even lied about their impartiality. The initial chair of the study was a leading outspoken skeptic of homeopathy.

At first, an impartial company with a group of researchers were fired by the Council when they presented a report that concluded that homeopathy was effective. Then the subsequent research group, under the Council’s direct guidance, created criteria for evaluating studies of homeopathy that were never used before in the evaluation of other scientific studies. This unprecedented procedure effectively blocked all studies of homeopathy that had a positive result. In response, one of the researchers interviewed on camera belligerently justified these actions by claiming ‘it was homeopathy!’ they were evaluating.

There are many dramatically positive scientific studies validating homeopathy’s effectiveness and none of these were included in their report. Many are described on this web site.

Even though there have been many complaints to the Research Council, after 2 years, there is still no substantial results of their supposed review of the lack of integrity and dishonesty by their own researchers. For more detailed information see the documentary Just One Drop.

A new film on homeopathy has been released by Laurel Chiten (Blind Dog FIlms) who is the Producer and Director. “Just One Drop” explores the people who have been dramatically helped by homeopathy as well as the history and controversy of homeopathy.

A new complex scientific experiment tested Arnica montana to see if it would change genes that are related to wound healing. As the authors said: “This work tested Arnica m. effects on gene expression using an in vitro model of macrophages polarized towards a “wound-healing” phenotype” The experiment showed that even highly diluted and potentized Arnica had a noticable effect!

Arnica montana prepared homoeopathically has been used for over 200 years by homeopaths and consumers to heal injuries especially bruises.

Given the central role of macrophages in tissue repair and regeneration, we formulated the hypothesis that one of the cellular targets of Arnica m. action is the macrophage, and accordingly decided to evaluate this plant’s effects in vitro on the THP-1 human cell line, a widely used model for immune modulation [15,16]. This cell line is widely used in laboratories for the study of macrophage biochemistry and molecular biology. The advantage of a cell line resides essentially in the easier reproducibility of experiments in the same conditions, avoiding the variations due to individual sensitivity of different donors. Since we used very low doses of drugs—even with the highest Arnica m. 2c dilution, in assay medium the sesquiterpene lactones are in the 10−8 Mol/L dose—we expected small effect sizes and so preferred to use a highly reproducible model. THP-1 cells resemble primary monocytes, but when treated with low doses of phorbol esters (PMA) they differentiate to cells with the morphological and functional features of tissue macrophages. On the basis of environmental cues and molecular mediators, macrophages differentiate to either a pro-inflammatory type (M1) or to an anti-inflammatory or pro-reparatory type (M2) [17–20]. Accordingly, we used THP-1 macrophages polarized by interleukin-4 (IL-4) treatment to a phenotype that takes on characteristic properties functional to immune regulation, wound healing, and tissue remodelling [16,21].

The results of this work indicate that Arnica m. acts on macrophages by modulating a number of genes and by increasing cell motility. RNA-seq analysis allowed the identification of several genes which are particularly sensitive to ultra-low doses and high dilutions of this plant extract. Molecular analysis of gene expression suggests that a primary action of this medicinal plant is the stimulation of tissue matrix synthesis. These findings provide new insights into wound-associated molecular events and specifically point to macrophage fibronectin production as a potential therapeutic target of Arnica m. for the treatment of wound repair.

In spite of billions of GBPs and billions of dollars spent on pharmaceutical medication for depression, it is growing at an alarming rate and poorly controlled. The Society of Homeopaths reports:

According to a recent report in GP online(1) depression is now the fastest growing condition in the UK.

470,000 new cases were reported in 2015/16, which exceeded obesity, hypertension and diabetes. This leaves the total number of patients over the age of 18 with recorded depression standing at 3.8m people, or 8.3% of the population.

The report is based on analysis prevalence data from Quality and Outcomes Framework(QOF), published in NHS digital.2 In the meanwhile, waiting times for patients to access talking therapies such as Cognigive Behavioural Therapy is, according to the General Practitioners Committee deputy chairman Dr Richard Vautrey unacceptably long.

Homeopathy and depression

Given that women are up to three times more likely to develop major depressive order, findings from a recent trial where homeopathy was given to peri-menopausal and menopausal women with depressive symptoms is very interesting.

This randomised, placebo controlled trial took place in Mexico and included 133 women. 54.5% of women responded positively to homeopathic treatment, which was similar to the response to fluoxetine but significantly higher than from placebo. Only homeopathic treatment led to a reduction on menopausal symptoms, which is in line with its whole person effects.

The North American Society of Homeopaths also called NASH is the leading organization in certifying both homeopaths and schools in North America. The prestigious designation RSHom whether in North America or the UK is recognized internationally as meaning members are trained to high standards of homeopathic practice.

“The North American Society of Homeopaths (NASH) is dedicated to promoting, representing, and serving as the voice of all PROFESSIONAL homeopaths in North America. NASH aims to develop and uphold the highest level of excellence in homeopathic practice while enhancing the role of the homeopathic profession as an integral part of health care delivery.”

Based on the Society of Homeopaths here in the United Kingdom, NASH is an organization that both certifies homeopaths and homeopathic schools in North America. Like in the UK, a Society of Homeopaths professional homeopath is considered a competent and important part of many patient’s health care. On both web sites you can find a school directory and a professional directory. Members of the UK Society of Homeopaths are accredited with the Professional Standards Authority.

And on both web sites you can find out more about homeopathy. Also on the NASH web site you can find the NASH library.

“Most of our resources are free and for public use. Access our bookstore to purchase titles on philosophy, treatment, legal issues and more. Review the most up to date clinical trials, science data and government reports on homeopathy. Use the links directory to access even more information on advocacy, certification and other homeopathic resources. Purchase back issues of the American Homeopath in digital or paper form. Members can download association documents or visit the lending library to borrow materials.”

NASH goes beyond certifying homeopaths and leads in professional development:

Registered Membership with the North American Society of Homeopaths (NASH) receives the internationally respected designation RSHom (NA) acknowledging the independent professional practice of homeopathy in North America. The NASH association not only offers acknowledgement to your expertise, but assistance to your professional development, practice success, and the continued expansion of homeopathy. NASH represents the voice solely of the homeopathic profession.

At the beginning of July 2016 Usain Bolt withdrew from olympic trials with a grade 1 tear in his hamstring. He immediately went to Germany for homeopathic medical treatment. Then he improved so quickly by getting this amazing homeopathic treatment that he competed just a month later in the Rio 2016 Olympics and won gold three times!

The Olympic sprinter and famed winner of numerous gold medals has been using homeopathy since the age of 16. He is a patient of German sports doctor Hans-Wilheim Muller-Wohifahrt who uses homeopathy at his Munich clinic. “I’ve been coming here since I was 16,” the world record holder said at a press conference in Munich. “It’s been a long relationship. Every time I have a problem, he always gives good advice and treatments. He’s the best at what he does. We are very close,”

Bolt was born with scoliosis, a curvature of the lower spine, which makes him more susceptible to back pain and injuries.

There are thousands of trained homeopathic physicians in Germany and Dr Müller-Wohlfahrt is a world leader in the treatment of sports injuries. “He is well-known for his holistic approach. Though conventionally trained in medicine and orthopaedics, his treatment includes manual diagnostics, as well as herbal and homeopathic remedies and acupuncture. Other famous patients include Paula Radcliffe, Kelly Holmes, Tyson Gay, Ronaldo, Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard and Boris Becker. He is also the team doctor for the German national football team and FC Bayern München.”

With our livestock being overrun by pharmaceutical drugs and corporations, as well as the phenomenal increase of serious chronic diseases in pets as a result of conventional veterinarian medicine or in spite of it, homeopathy as an alternative has been a life saver for many animals.

Many vets use homeopathic remedies, and many have decided to treat animals solely with homeopathy. Studies and clinical realities have proven homeopathy’s efficacy and safety in the treatment of animals. Not only that, homeopathic remedies given to animals do not poison the food chain or cause further degradation of the health of animals. It is one of the reasons there is such a demand for homeopathy by many practical and knowledgable farmers.

The British Homeopathic Association states:

The benefits
A veterinary surgeon trained in homeopathy will know when it is most effective to use homeopathic medicine, conventional medicine or a combination of both. Homeopathy can be used equally well for minor conditions and for more chronic problems when prolonged treatment may be required.Veterinary clinical outcomes survey
In October 2010 the Faculty of homeopathy’s data collection study in cats and dogs was published.
In the largest study of its type ever conducted, the clinical outcomes survey has identified a number of clinical conditions in cats and dogs that may be promising targets for future research in veterinary homeopathy. Twenty-one homeopathic veterinary surgeons in the UK recorded data from their patients over a 12-month period and collected information from a total of 400 cats and 1500 dogs.
The most frequently treated feline conditions were dermatitis, renal failure, over-grooming, arthritis and hyperthyroidism. The most commonly recorded canine conditions were dermatitis, arthritis, pyoderma (a bacterial infection of the skin), colitis and fear. By owners’ assessments, a moderate or major improvement was reported overall for 63% of cats and for 68% of dogs1.

On her 90th birthday, the London Weekly News reports that in spite of criticism the Queen has used homeopathy all her life and has remarkable good health. In fact, many generations of the Royal family have used homeopathy.

For as The Queen marks her 90th birthday on April 21, that she has reached such an excellent age is largely due to her lifelong trust in homeopathy. Everywhere that Her Majesty goes she is accompanied by a small case of special cures and tinctures and, although doctors no not care to admit it, it is because of her herbal little helpers that she rarely gets a cold or any other sort of complaint.

Empiricists would argue that as both The Queen and the late Queen Mother have been avid fans of homeopathy and as The Queen Mum died at the age of 101, the glaring probability that it works seems to be rather evident. -London Weekly News

The Swiss interior ministry has announced its intention to elevate five complementary therapies including homeopathy to the same level as conventional medicine. Homeopathy, holistic medicine, herbal medicine, acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine will acquire the same status as conventional medicine by May 2017.

Canada’s largest province, Ontario, has now officially “proclaimed” homeopathy as a health profession. It gives professional homeopaths equal footing with other health disciplines.

The United Kingdom’s Society of Homeopaths’ voluntary register has been accredited under a new scheme set up by the Department of Health and administered by an independent body, the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care, which is accountable to the United Kingdom’s Parliament.

Homeopathy is an important part of the medical fabric of most countries in Europe. One in six Italians use homeopathic medicine at least once a year says a new independant research study. The new report also shows that over 20,000 Italian Medical Doctors recommend homeopathy.

(ANSA) – Rome, February 23 – One in six Italians use homeopathic medicine at least once a year, research by health sector research institute DoxaPharma showed on Tuesday.
The study also showed that about 20,000 doctors in Italy recommend the use of homeopathy, a system in which patients are treated with small doses of a substance that would in larger amounts lead to symptoms of illness in healthy people.
Omeoimprese, an association of the biggest homeopathic medicine producers in Italy, reported revenues of about 92.6 million euros in 2015, up 2.9 % compared to the previous year.
Total turnover in the whole homeopathy sector in Italy amounted to more than 300 million euros, making it the third largest market in Europe. However, overall revenues edged slightly lower by 1% in 2015.
“The number of Italians who are familiar with our products remains high, but the economic crisis that has hit companies globally has without doubt negatively influenced prescriptions of the drugs, for which patients have to pay the entire cost,” said Omeoimprese President Giovanni Gorga.

Primarily medical doctors practise homeopathy in Italy. There are a number of large homeopathic medical organizations in Italy that have several schools and associations each. These are SIO (Societa Italiana di Omeopatia) and FIAMO (Federazione Italiana delle Associazioni e dei Medici Omeopati). There are many schools teaching homeopathy and some interesting research into homeopathy happening at main stream Universities in Italy.

In 2015, the Australian National Health Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) authored a report that designated homeopathy ineffective.

But many serious methodological flaws, procedural irregularities, bias and conflicts of interest have come to light about the whole process. The Australian Homeopathic Association (AHA) has investigated and has taken their report of the serious irregularities to the Council. Because of the nature of the problems that have been uncovered the Council is now having an internal investigation. Probably the most serious being that the head of the NHMRC Homeopathic Working Committee was a member of a pro-pharmaceutical corporate medicine group called FSM.

“AHA, in collaboration with Complementary Medicines Australia (CMA), has been engaged in an active, formal process of making NHMRC accountable for its flawed ‘Review’, which was underpinned by unacceptable bias and conflict of interest. The CMA/ AHA investigation has revealed a number of critical (previously unknown) procedural and methodological irregularities that invalidate the ‘Review’s’ findings. Some of these are of a very disturbing nature, for example the undisclosed fact that a Friends of Science in Medicine (FSM) member was appointed as the initial chair of the ‘Homeopathy Working Committee’ in 2012, concomitant to the NHMRC CEO being personally warned of FSM’s lobbying of NHMRC reviewers to its anti-Complimentary Medicine agenda.”

Such factors, amongst many others, bode well for having the ‘Review’ and its findings permanently set aside, which is AHA/ CMA’s goal.

After a lead-up investigation period, in August 2015 CMA provided NHMRC with a dossier outlining critical methodological flaws, procedural irregularities, bias and conflicts of interest associated with the ‘Review’. This successfully brought NHRMC to the negotiating table on September 17, 2015, under threat of further follow up action underpinned by legal support. At the meeting, attended by representatives from the AHA, CMA and their legal representation, NHMRC agreed to undertake a formal internal review of its processes and consider a detailed (61-page) submission prepared by CMA/ AHA detailing these irregularities. NHMRC is currently undertaking this internal review.

AHA appreciates members’ and supporters’ patience in this matter. Now that a formal complaints process has been initiated via NHMRC, AHA is more able to keep everyone informed of progress with this situation as it develops.

To this end National Council has set up a Sponsorship Program to financially support our legal costs in the ongoing process outlined above. Any contribution you can make to this fund will directly support these ongoing activities and will make a real difference. For more information please visit the website.” —http://www.homeopathyoz.org

Jessica Alba used homeopathy when she was in Australia doing a TV show. It inspired her to start a natural product company that has grown to over 1 billion in sales.

Jessica Alba recently confessed to Vogue how the creation of her successful eco-friendly enterprise was influence by Australia and the lifestyle she experienced in that country, “I did a TV show in Australia for two years, and that’s where I learned about homeopathy and homeopathic medicine,” Alba said as she explained how she started to get inspired for her business, The Honest Company.

A conventional pharmaceutical drug trial in France has left five people seriously injured with one participant becoming brain dead and dying.

A new report says that heartburn medications, proton pump inhibitors called PPIs, which are one of the top ten drugs prescribed in the world- – have damaging effects on the kidneys.The studies also showed that taking PPIs increases your risk of dying prematurely by 76%.

All these add to the overwhelming body of work that shows that the conventional drug clinical trial and what is called the gold standard of double blind studies are not a predictor of safety and ultimately efficacy. It also seriously erodes the whole basis of pharmaceutical drug research and testing.

Homeopathy, on the other hand, has a 200 year old history of incredible safety and clinical efficacy. It is not driven by corporations. Not only that, homeopaths have developed complex and sophisticated clinical methods of evaluating their own therapy and other treatment modalities.

The homeopath’s system of monitoring the positive or negative effects of therapies by their acute observation of the overall effect of any therapy, disease or situation started with what were called “laws of cure” by one important homeopath in the 1800s. By observing over 20-30 years the health of their general patient population and specific patients, homeopaths have been good at identifying directions of cure and disease in the total body system. It is one of the reasons why homeopathy is the second largest form of medicine in the world and has millions of patients that can attest to its effectiveness and lack of side effect.

So you would think that with the positive outcomes and safety of homeopathy and other alternative medical therapies that there would be a dramatic support and movement away from pharmaceutical drugs. But there isn’t a dramatic movement albeit an increase in those turning to alternatives. This is because Drug companies have spent millions on certain kinds of negative aspect public relations, making sure that this does not happen.

The key is to understand that drug companies, many years ago recognized that their drugs were potentially harmful and that non harmful alternatives were taking more market share. They implemented a strategy to attack alternative choices and eliminate competition. As well, by focusing attention of critics on alternative health modalities and making them appear “dangerous” and claiming that drugs are made with the only “scientific” method, it takes the heat and focus off their own products. There are even organizations and individuals that have been funded by pharmaceutical companies to promote just that method of attack.

There are various names for this type of activity and “Tactical Negative Public Relations” is one of them. With such a deep deep corporate pocket, this activity has had far reaching impacts which have not been good for consumers and causes grief for alternative health practitioners.

It has best been accomplished by a number of methods, including inciting those in the research field who’s jobs depend solely on funding by the pharmaceutical industry to form and give rigid opinions against homeopathy without actually knowing anything about what they are talking about. Also, they have enlisted many failed academics who lie about their credentials and knowledge of alternatives to create an aura of credibility yet are attempting to bolster their failed career by spreading self aggrandizing false information about alternatives. As well, there is a concerted attempt to minimize reporting of side effects and reporting of serious problems of modern drugs.

It also has included enlisting individuals and groups who feel that corporations, like drug companies can do no harm and should not be restricted- a philosophy espoused by the teacher of many of the anti-alternative medicine zealots in the United Kingdom.

Usually their arguments are simplistic at best, prejudicial and hate filled at worst. It goes viral on the internet in a better way if it is filled with hate.

An emotional Facebook plea by a woman who turned out to be associated with the pharmaceutical industry, went viral. It was filled with disturbingly false information about the measles vaccine and those opposing it. It led to a popular pro-vaccine movement and even political changes.

Homeopaths are in for even more attacks because of the current failure of drug trials and the revealing of the danger of such a commonly prescribed type of drug as a PPI. On the other hand, those that value their overall health and think more deeply about their well being will appreciate homeopathy even more.

An older study using two homeopathic remedies to determine if they could stop or prevent the growth of cancerous tumors previously induced in mice showed a very positive result for the homeopathic remedies versus placebo.

Part of the problem with scientific studies using homeopathic remedies is that the best results are when the homeopathic remedy is individualized to the patient. The ideal is when the individual modalities is taken into account of whatever problem is being studied and multiple homeopathic remedies are used. Almost all conventional medical studies do not have this and only some homeopathic studies do.

Professor Jennifer Jacobs MD did such an individualized study with dramatically positive results. The study using homeopathy to deal with acute diarrhea in children was published in the conventional medical journal Paediatrics. The “randomized double-blind clinical trial comparing homeopathic medicine with placebo in the treatment of acute childhood diarrhea was conducted in León, Nicaragua, in July 1991. Eighty-one children aged 6 months to 5 years of age were included in the study. An individualized homeopathic medicine was prescribed for each child and daily follow-up was performed for 5 days. Standard treatment with oral rehydration treatment was also given.”

The positive results were that “the treatment group [who had taken homeopathic remedies] had a statistically significant decrease in duration of diarrhea, defined as the number of days until there were less than three unformed stools daily for 2 consecutive days. There was also a significant difference (P < .05) in the number of stools per day between the two groups after 72 hours of treatment.” – Pubmed

Dr. Jacobs talks about the story behind it and also the backlash including the unprofessional behaviour of critics:

The Alliance for Natural Health International reports that the anti homeopathy group Sense about Science has been “busted by The Times of London” for once again secretly supporting corporate giants. This skeptic group has been for years taking contributions from Pharmaceutical Companies. In turn, they have authored actions and reports that seem independent and equal minded but are an attempt by the pharmaceutical industry to destroy homeopathy and the right of consumers to choose alternative health modalities.

The alliance for natural health reports that “On the 9th & 10th October 2015 respectively, The Times published two consecutive, highly revealing articles by its special correspondent, Alexi Mostrous. In the Saturday piece, Alexi Mostrous exposed Sense About Science’s association with Coca-Cola. Sense About Science is the charity with which anti-alternative medicine skeptics like Simon Singh and Ben Goldacre are associated, that claims to be independent yet often acts as a voice for Big Food, Pharma and Biotech.”

“Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are consumed globally and contribute to adiposity. However, the worldwide impact of SSBs on burdens of adiposity-related cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancers, and diabetes mellitus has not been assessed by nation, age, and sex…”

As mentioned, Sense about Science has been complicit in inciting and spreading negative and false opinions about homeopathy and alternative health modalities. It was revealed that it is funded by the pharmaceutical industry and other corporations needing a seemingly “independent” scientific voice.

Homeopathy Pioneer Constantine Hering, MD was honored at a Dedication Ceremony in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Unitied States. The Celebration honoured the “father of American Homeopathy” with an official state historical marker on November 8, 2015.

The National Center for Homeopathy (NCH) and the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission announced the dedication of this official state historical marker commemorating the “father of American Homeopathy,” Constantine Hering, MD.

Dr. Hering was considered the father of homeopathic medicine in North America. Through his extensive scientific medical research and unselfish devotion to the advancement of the art of healing through medical education, he helped to establish Philadelphia as the leading nineteenth century American city for both medical care and medical education.

A survey of the use of Over the Counter Homeopathic Remedies drew surprisingly positive results from consumers seeking an alternative. Over 20,000 people bothered to fill out the survey.

The National Center for Homeopathy (NCH) in the United States reports the following:

“We conducted a survey of consumers of homeopathic products in June 2015 to gather data about consumer attitudes about and experiences with OTC (Over the Counter) homeopathic medicines.

Nearly 20,000 consumers completed the survey – and confirmed the anecdotal testimonials we’ve received from the homeopathic community over the past 40 years. Here are some of the results highlights:

+90% of respondents indicated they were overall extremely satisfied or very satisfied with the results of OTC homeopathic medicines that they had used.

+90% of respondents reported that they were very likely to purchase OTC homeopathic medicines again in the future.

+85% of respondents indicated that they were very likely to recommend homeopathic medicines to others.

In addition, these results support our experience that consumers are able to make informed decisions about purchasing and using homeopathic products. They want the opportunity to make informed decisions about health care that suit their lifestyles and health needs. The accessibility of homeopathic remedies over the counter is a major factor in this level of satisfaction.

The NCH submitted the results of this survey to the FDA in written comment on behalf of the homeopathic community.”

The sold out Homeopathy Research Conference shows that many scientists and researchers consider homeopathy research a valid and substantial scientific endeavour. The momentum from the conference continues. Many different topics were discussed and some interesting research is available.

The primary goal for this conference was to gather together the best researchers in the world, from as many subfields of homeopathy research as possible. Thanks to input from HRI’s Scientific Advisory Committee, plus other expert reviewers from around the world who kindly volunteered their time, this goal was achieved.

250 delegates came from 39 countries to hear presentations by speakers from 17 countries, making this a truly international event.

The high calibre of the 35 oral presentations was evident throughout the intensive programme which included talks by six Professors and 28 Doctors (PhDs and/or medics), from institutions as far afield as the University of Washington (USA), University of Berne (Switzerland), Universidade Estual de Maringa (Parana, Brazil) and the Universities of Verona and Bologna (Italy).

Discussions of new findings captured the ‘cutting edge’ theme of the conference, from developments in fundamental research investigating the mechanism of action of homeopathic medicines, to cross-disciplinary topics such as the growing evidence that homeopathic remedies can modulate gene expression and can exert a ‘field effect’.

In this Ted Talk, Sharyl Attkisson a media expert, describes how these manipulative media methods have impacted public perception and “truth.” and particularly how this has been used by the pharmaceutical industry. She gives the term “astroturf” to the method of making something artificial seem like a real grassroots’ movement on public media when it is not. This sponsored “astroturf movement” against homeopathy and the distortion of information as described by her has impacted the public perception of homeopathy.

Sharyl Attkisson also talks about the problematic situation with Wikipedia where many times experts in a particular field are not allowed to edit entries, and where Wikipedia allows special interests and favours them. This is evident in the homeopathy wikipedia entry, where Dana Ullman MPH, who is a world wide expert in homeopathy and has a Masters in Public Health has been prevented completely from editing and contributing to the Wikipedia entry on homeopathy. Instead, non experts on homeopathy and pharmaceutical representatives are only allowed.

The United Kingdom’s Society of Homeopaths has unveiled a new web site- http://www.homeopathy-soh.org It is chock full of information on homeopathy and about this organization representing professional homeopaths in the UK.

“The Society of Homeopaths is a professional body whose members are trained to high standards and agree to practise according to a strict code of ethics and practice.”

George Vithoulkas, age 82, was given a Doctor Honoris Causa at the Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

George Vithoulkias is considered the father of modern homeopathy. He changed the way homeopathic materia medica was understood and taught as well as elucidating homeopathic philosophy and its clinical application in the context of modern medical clinical practice. He resides in Greece.

Vithoulkas’ books, Homeopathy: Medicine of the New Man (Arco, New York, 1979), written for the general public, and The Science of Homeopathy (Grove Press, New York, 1980), for health professionals, have been translated into twenty languages and have had a profound influence upon the acceptance and practice of homeopathy worldwide. His book, A New Model for Health and Disease, published in German and English in 1991, makes a fundamental critique of conventional allopathic medicine and sets out a new paradigm for the science of medicine.

George Vithoulkas has received the Right Livelihood Award (Alternative Nobel Prize) “…for his outstanding contribution to the revival of homeopathic knowledge and the training of homeopaths to the highest standards.” The United Nations (Development Forum) consider this award “Among the world’s most prestigious awards”, while TIME Magazine called Jacob Uexkull, the award’s initiator, one of the 37 “heroes” of 2005.

Here is some information about the special event that honoured Vithoulkas and the teaching at the University from the web site vithoulkas.com:

On Tuesday 5 May, 2015 at 12.00 PM, Professor of Homeopathy George Vithoulkas was nominated Doctor Honoris Causa at the Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
The Laudacio was made by the Dean of the University’s School of Medicine, Prof. Dr. Anca Dana Buzoianu, who referred at length to the scientific work of Prof. G. Vithoulkas.
The opening ceremony was addressed by the President of the Senate, Prof. Dr. Ioan Ştefan Florian; the Vice Rectors of the University also attended the ceremony.
Inter alia, Professor G. Vithoulkas said the following in his speech:
“Today I am particularly proud that, through me, a great School of Medicine is honoring homeopathy, this remarkable therapeutic method, as well as Doctor S. Hahnemann, who discovered it 200 years ago.
Homeopathy has been credited with impressive results in the last 200 years and that attests to its undoubted validity.
Homeopathy is essential in the early stages of chronic diseases, when conventional medicine has no answers and, therefore, it constitutes a complementary therapeutic method sorely needed in medicine.
I am confident that your University will become the pillar of resistance against the destructive storm of chronic disease that is currently spreading rapidly, and that it will bestow the beneficial therapeutic effects of homeopathy upon humanity.”
On Monday 4 May, 2015, Prof. G. Vithoulkas opened the courses of Classical Homeopathy, which take place in the University’s Department of Neurology under the direction of Prof. Dr. Dafin Muresanu in cooperation with the International Academy of Homeopathy, based in Alonnisos, Greece.
On Friday 8 May, 2015 he taught at Sibiu to 120 Romanian doctors, who attended from all regions of the country. The seminar was organized by Dr. Ofelia Lugojan and Dr. Mariana Tarniceru. In his speech, Prof. George Vithoulkas made extensive reference to the “Levels of Health,” while his book “Levels of Health” in Romanian was also presented at the seminar. Academician Dr. Aurelia Nicoleta Cristea and Prof. Dr. Simona Dragan also attended the event.

Australia’s research council has hired pharmaceutical trained “experts” to conclude that homeopathic remedies do not act like pharmaceutical drugs and are therefore “ineffective.”

Dr Robert Mathie, the Research Development Advisor for The British Homeopathy Association also had expressed reservation about the nature of the research being conducted by the NHMRC. “Given that a review of reviews is two stages removed from the original clinical trial evidence, it has the potential to misrepresent the totality of the relevant research”.

During 25 years in the university sector, Dr Mathie published over 100 peer-reviewed papers. Since 2010, he has focused on reviewing and clarifying the research literature on homeopathy by means of a major programme of systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials in human and veterinary homeopathy for The British Homeopathic Association (BHA). He is very positive about the results of research into homeopathy.

Also positive was the Swiss government’s exhaustive research into homeopathy- “After carefully monitoring homeopathic treatment in Switzerland and also taking an extensive overview of all scientific studies of homeopathy it concludes that “taking internal and external validity criteria into account, effectiveness of homeopathy can be supported by clinical evidence and professional and adequate application be regarded as safe”(PubMed). They concluded that homeopathic treatment should continued to be reimbursed by Switzerland’s national health insurance program.”

The Swiss government researchers had no affiliation with pharmaceutical companies.

One of the leading research chemists and scientists was so impressed with homeopathy that he decided to study it and is now a practising homeopath. Dr Lionel R Milgrom BSc, MSc, PhD, CChem, FRSC, LCH, MARH, RHom. is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and his research and articles are highly cited in leading science journals. He has practised for a number of years as a professional homeopath in London, England.

Apart from homeopathy, I have also been a research chemist for over 30 years, holding several science degrees, including a doctorate in chemistry. I am a Chartered Chemist, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. My chemistry research over the past 12 years has concentrated on the use of light and biologically-targeted pigments as a novel treatment for cancer. In 2001, this culminated in the formation of a university spin-out company to propagate and commercialise this research. I am also a science journalist, writing about chemistry and CAM (Complimentary and Alternative Medicine) for many leading newspapers, journals and magazines. – www.lionelmilgrom.com

The United Kingdom’s largest registering association of professional homeopaths called the Society of Homeopaths, was founded in 1978 “to forward the development of the profession, its aim is high quality homeopathic health care for all”. Now, the Society of Homeopaths’ voluntary register has been accredited under a new scheme set up by the Department of Health and administered by an independent body, the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care, which is accountable to the United Kingdom’s Parliament. Patients and the public can have confidence in the Society of Homeopaths’ voluntary register which has been vetted and approved by the Professional Standards Authority.

Practitioners on the Society of Homeopaths’ register will be able to display the Accredited Voluntary Register (AVR) quality mark, a sign that they belong to a register which meets the Professional Standards Authority’s robust standards.

The Society of Homeopath’s web site now states “The designation RSHom is your guarantee of a well-trained, registered and insured healthcare professional. In September 2014, the Society’s register was accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.”

Ontario, which is the largest province of Canada with a population of 13.6 million people, has now officially “proclaimed” homeopathy as a health profession. It gives professional homeopaths equal footing with other health disciplines. Professional homeopaths will have some restrictions in what they can do but will be able to practice as a respected health discipline. All health professions have a professional “College” as it is called, such as the College of Homeopaths or the College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Here is the News Release from the College of Homeopaths in Ontario:

College of Homeopaths of Ontario established to ensure safe and competent practice, recognize diversity in patient choice

March 31, 2015 9:45 p.m., Toronto ON
April 1, 2015 marks the proclamation date of the Homeopathy Act, 2007, which sets out the terms for establishing homeopathy as one of 28 self-regulated health professions in Ontario. This date also ushers in a new era of protection for homeopathy patients.
“We have a rich and diverse population in Ontario,” says Bhupinder Sharma, the College’s President. “Many patients choose homeopathy because it works for them.” Sharma added that “Ontario’s health-care system includes many options, and we are pleased to see patient choice and public safety coming together.”

Regulation will ensure that homeopaths practise to a standard that is defined and maintained. In order to register, applicants must have proven their competence through an assessment of their knowledge, skill and judgement. Registrants will take part in ongoing quality assurance initiatives, focusing on education and standards of practice.

“We are pleased to post the Public Register of qualified and competent homeopaths,” says College Registrar Basil Ziv.
“Getting to this point has taken many years and a lot of hard work. Proclamation allows the College to use the full powers of the Homeopathy Act, 2007.”
As of April 1, only those who are registered with the College can use the title “Homeopath.” What sets registered homeopaths apart is that, under the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, they are accountable to the College of Homeopaths of Ontario to provide safe, competent and ethical practice. An exhaustive set of professional practice standards and guidelines has been developed to form the backdrop against which practice will be maintained. The public register of homeopaths will be available to allow patients and others to determine the registration status of a practitioner.
Additionally, a discipline process will be in place to ensure that complaints can be dealt with fairly and effectively.
The College of Homeopaths of Ontario is governed by the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 and the Homeopathy, Act, 2007. These acts ensure consistent implementation of public protection mechanisms and allow patients, employers and other health care professions to make complaints against practitioners who fall below the health care standards set by the

College and the Government of Ontario.
For more information on the Public Register, complaints process, registration requirements, professional practice standards,and ongoing regulatory programs, please see the College’s website: http://www.collegeofhomeopaths.on.ca .

Background: College of Homeopaths of Ontario
What is homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a system of medicine used around the world and based on the principle of “let likes
be cured by likes.” Patients who exhibit symptoms of disease are treated with administration of
minute doses of substances to stimulate the individual’s natural healing process in order to restore
and maintain health.
Homeopaths are trained health-care practitioners who observe and assess the totality of signs and symptoms that the patient exhibits. This totality refers to taking all the symptoms a patient exhibits on a physical, mental, emotional and general level, and prescribing a remedy that best matches this symptom profile. Treatment involves choosing the appropriate remedy, which is administered in minute doses with the aim of stimulating the individual’s healing response.

What is the homeopathic scope of practice?
Under the Homeopathy Act, 2007, the scope of practice is defined as “the assessment of body system disorders and
treatment using homeopathic techniques to promote, maintain or restore health.” The College of Homeopaths of Ontario has created a series of professional practice standards and guidelines to define the safe and effective practice and scope of practice for homeopathy.

Where do homeopaths work?
Homeopaths work in a variety of settings including private practice, multi-practitioner health-care centres, pharmacies, and other health-care settings.

Do patients need a referral from a family doctor?
Homeopathy may be used independently to treat acute or chronic illness or disorders or as an adjunct to other forms of health care. In many cases homeopaths are part of the patient’s multi-disciplinary health care team. A referral is not required to see a homeopath.

What should a patient expect upon visiting a homeopath?
At the first consultation the homeopath will spend at least one to two hours, sometimes longer, asking detailed questions about one’s health, medical history, and lifestyle. The homeopath is seeking to understand how the patient experiences symptoms and how they affect daily life, so that s/he can assess and prescribe the most appropriate remedy to match the totality of symptoms. The homeopath will obtain informed consent prior to completing their visit with the patient and prior to providing remedy options.
Subsequent consultations are often shorter in duration and will involve discussing the changes that have occurred, so that the homeopath can understand how the patient has responded to the remedy and what the next treatment step will be.

Will patients have to pay for treatment?
Homeopathic care may be covered by individual health-care benefits plans. Patients should check with their employers or insurance providers for more details.

How can a patient find a homeopath?
As of April 1, 2015, homeopathy is a regulated health profession in Ontario. Regulation will ensure all homeopaths meet the education and clinical experience criteria set out by the College of Homeopaths of Ontario. Homeopaths will also be required to undergo assessment to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and judgment in the practice of the profession. The competency-based assessment is conducted by a third-party assessment expert. Once the homeopath has completed their assessment and satisfied the other necessary registration requirements, they may be considered for registration with the

College of Homeopaths of Ontario.
Once registered, the Homeopath’s name will appear on the Public Register of the College. The Public Register provides the public with information about the practitioner including business name and address, years in practice, status of College regulation, and information about any formal disciplinary or fitness to practice issues.

Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991
The Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA), which came into force on December 31, 1993, and was amended in June 2007, provides a common legislative framework under which all regulated health professions in Ontario must function. Currently 28 health professions (27 fully regulated, 1 transitional) are regulated under the RHPA.
The underlying objectives of the RHPA are:
• To protect the public from harm and from unqualified, incompetent or unfit providers;
• To promote safe, high quality care;
• To make regulated health professions accountable to the public;
• To provide patients/clients access to health-care professionals of their choice;
• To achieve equality and consistency by requiring all regulated health professions adhere to the same purposes,
procedures and public interest principles;
• To treat individual patients/clients and health professionals in an equitable manner.

Homeopathy Act, 2007
Every regulated health profession in Ontario has, in addition to the RHPA, a profession-specific Act which establishes a regulatory college responsible for governing the profession to ensure the public is protected. The Homeopathy Act, 2007 establishes the College of Homeopaths of Ontario.

The Homeopathy Act, 2007 sets out:
• The scope of practice of homeopathy is defined as “…the assessment of body system disorders and treatment
using homeopathic techniques to promote, maintain or restore health”;
• Title protection, authorizing only members of the College of Homeopaths of Ontario the use of the title “homeopath,” a variation or abbreviation or an equivalent in another language;
• The composition of the College Council.

How does the College protect the public?
In Ontario, the law sets out the responsibilities, powers and procedures for the College of Homeopaths of Ontario to regulate the profession of homeopathy in the interest of public protection. The College works for the public to ensure that homeopaths are qualified to offer safe, competent and ethical care.

Accountability
While anyone can legally provide homeopathy education and advice, what sets registered homeopaths apart is that, under the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, they are accountable to the College of Homeopaths of Ontario to provide safe, competent and ethical practice. Each homeopath must participate in quality assurance and practice assessment programs to ensure continuing competency. Under certain circumstances, homeopaths and employers have an obligation to report registrants who are not practising ethically, safely and competently.

Complaints Resolution Process
The College also has a complaints resolution process in place for anyone who has a concern or complaint about the
services they have received from a homeopath. The College has the responsibility and power to investigate and take action in all complaints.

Homeopath: A Protected Health Profession Title
In Ontario, only members of the College of Homeopaths of Ontario are regulated and authorized to use the title
“Homeopath” or “HOM.” Individuals who are not members of the College are prohibited from using this professional designation or from holding themselves out as qualified to practise as a homeopath. You can verify that your homeopath is a qualified and registered member by consulting the Public Register.

A chemist funded by a pharmaceutical company head is attacking and attempting to censor a research study on the homeopathic treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The study is being done by professors and researchers at the University of Toronto in Canada. The chemist, Joe Schwarcz is funded to attack homeopathy by the head of a pharmaceutical company who also funds other anti homeopathy skeptic groups.

Heather Boon, Dean of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Pharmacy, responded to the attack by saying, “The study comes after years of consultations and a pilot project that observed patient experiences using homeopathic remedies to treat ADHD. We found that over 60 per cent of the patients improved.”

According to the Toronto Star newspaper, the drug company funded chemist has organized a group of scientists to sign a letter that would censor and stop this research and any research into homeopathy. Homeopathy is the second largest form of medicine in the world and has a 200 year history of safety and efficacy.

The Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found that the total spending on ADHD is up to $266 billion a year. Sales of prescription drugs for ADHD treatment doubled between 2007 and 2012, going from $4 billion to $9 billion. Homeopathy offers a viable and inexpensive alternative and the University of Toronto study is a scientific validation of this.

Scientist met at UNESCO headquarters in Paris France in August to discuss the medical implications of what UNESCO calls a new paradigm in biology – essentially homeopathic potentitzation. Nobel prize winner, Luc Montagnier and French and Italian scientific researchers into homeopathic paradigms were leaders at the symposium and presented rigorous scientific evidence. One of the original researchers of homeopathic mechanisms, Benveniste and his work was also discussed. UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) is known as the intellectual agency of the United Nations.

For the first time, a scientific symposium will discuss the emergence and possible societal and medical implications of a new paradigm in biology: electromagnetic waves and their relationship to the properties of water. This symposium will provide a synthesis of the research conducted over many years by Professor Luc Montagnier, Nobel Prize in Medicine. Professor Montagnier has worked with multidisciplinary teams of French and Italian researchers. The mathematician Cédric Villani, who received the Fields Medal in 2010, will propose a synthesis of the various presentations. He will include them in the broader context of Professor Jacques Benveniste’s work (1935-2004) on the “memory of water”, which was initiated thirty years ago. Professor Montagnier’s team is working on electromagnetic waves emitted in the area of very low frequencies and thus of low energy. Different reproducible experiments will be presented at the conference. These experiments show that these waves may play an important role in the pathogenicity of micro-organisms – bacteria and viruses – and also in physiological processes such as stem cell differentiation shown by Professor Carlo Ventura. The experimental facts will be presented by the two biologists. It appears that water is an important mediator in the transmission of molecular information, such as that carried by DNA. To achieve such transmission, water generates organized structures, which also emit electromagnetic signals. Marc Henry and Giuseppe Vitiello, relying on concepts developed by Italian physicists Giuliano Preparata and Emilio Del Giudice, will explain how quantum physics can elucidate these mysterious phenomena. They will reveal new fields of research that are areas of consistency activating water molecules. Interdisciplinarity (physics/biology) is the conference’s major message. The promoters of this conference are aware of the critical reactions aroused by this work in parts of the scientific community, so they wish to communicate their results with the utmost rigor. The aim is to foster a broad and multidisciplinary discussion. These data seem particularly important because they further enrich the immense achievements of molecular biology. They also suggest the development of new modes of transmission of genetic messages (transmission, transduction, teleportation, etc.). Opening remarks by Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO Presentations by: Giuseppe Vitiello, Professor of Theoretical Physics, University of Salerno: “A quantum field approach to living matter: why fields? why quantum?” Marc Henry, Professor of Molecular Chemistry, University of Strasbourg: “Water, electromagnetism and quantum coherence” Luc Montagnier, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2008: “Digital transmission of bacterial DNA in living cells” Carlo Ventura, Professor of Molecular Biology, University of Bologna: “The voice of the stem cells: mutant vibrations and regenerative medicine” Cédric Villani, Professor at the University of Lyon, Director of the Institut Henri Poincaré in Paris: “Memory, forgetfulness and reproducibility: an outside view on an unresolved controversy” Closing remarks by John Crowley, Head of the Research, Policy and Foresight Section, UNESCO Moderator : Frank Nouchi, Journalist, ‘Le Monde’ – From the UNESCO site

Arnica montana has been one of the most important homeopathic remedies for the effects of trauma. Historically, for over 200 years homeopathic Arnica has been used for the effects of trauma which includes bruising and even head injuries. In 2006, a study showed that it was effective for bruising after face lifts. Many main stream plastic surgeons have subsequently incorporated its use for after their surgical procedures.

Now, a new review of Arnica montana in the American Journal of Therapeutics suggests that Arnica montana “may represent a valid alternative to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, at least when treating some specific condition.” The review entitled “Effectiveness and Safety of Arnica montana in Post-Surgical Setting, Pain and Inflammation” deemed it to be effective for pain management in post operative settings.

Arnica montana has been widely used as a homeopathic remedy for the treatment of several inflammatory conditions in pain management and postoperative settings. This review gives an overview of the therapeutic use of Arnica montana in the above-mentioned fields also focusing on its mechanisms of action learned from animal models and in vitro studies. Arnica montana is more effective than placebo when used for the treatment of several conditions including post-traumatic and postoperative pain, edema, and ecchymosis. However, its dosages and preparations used have produced substantial differences in the clinical outcome. Cumulative evidence suggests that Arnica montana may represent a valid alternative to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, at least when treating some specific conditions.

A study that was carried out by an academic institute in Koblenz showed that 92 per cent of doctors who treat football stars in Germany use homeopathic remedies. Its popularity has increased even more since the study was done.

“The success stories are impressive,” said Peter Billigmann, a sports doctor and the head of the institute that carried out the study, in an interview with the Spiegel news magazine. “Homeopathic substances don’t have any side effects, and we’re on the safe side where doping is concerned.”

The French team also uses homeopathy. Jean-Marcel Ferret, was the doctor to the French soccer team from 1993 to 2004, the period which included their World Cup win and he talks about his approach to athlete support using homeopathy:

“I am a doctor that uses homeopathy and not a homeopath. I am open to all techniques. I consider that there is only one medicine comprising various techniques. We doctors have to know how to use the entire arsenal. As a sports doctor, I quickly discovered that except for anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxants, I was very limited in the care of athletes. I therefore tried to find something else. I began to use homeopathy, first occasionally, and then more and more.
At first, the athletes were surprised and some of them even wary. So I explained how and why homeopathy acts. The greatest value in sports? Its speed of action. I can use it directly on the soccer field, within seconds of the trauma, and note the results almost immediately. For example, in traumatology with Arnica, and without any adverse reactions on the stomach or liver. I also use homeopathy to treat ORL, stress or dermatology problems.
The players are highly trained. Therefore, they are a population at risk with a slightly defective immune system. We have to protect their health, accompany them in their performance by limiting the risks to a maximum. This involves emphasis on prevention, taking into account the personality of each player. I try to get to know them as well as possible, on all levels. I now know that this approach is that of homeopathy. Abroad, I have often been told that France is ahead in sports medicine. Homeopathy has certainly contributed to this.”

The French team and the current German World Cup winners continue to use homeopathy as an important part of treatment and prevention.

Luc Montagnier won a nobel prize for the discovery of the AIDS virus. More recently he has been doing experiments to show that the highly diluted and succussed process in homeopathy is scientifically valid and effective . The consumer organization H:MC21 writes:

A documentary On a retrouvé la mémoire de l’eau [Rediscovering the Memory of Water] has been broadcast by the state-owned France 5 television station and is also on You Tube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu5IlRUIEEA. The film looks at an experiment conducted by Luc Montagnier, who won a Nobel Prize for discovering the AIDS virus. In France DNA from a patient infected with aids is serially diluted in a similar way to making a homeopathic potency; Phials of this highly diluted material are then randomly mixed with phials of distilled water; A phial of prepared DNA is identified from the randomised samples by its electromagnetic signature; This signature is recorded as a digital file, and the file is transmitted to a laboratory in Italy; There the file is used to generate an electromagnetic field, and a phial of distilled water is exposed to this field for one hour; Protein bases and a catalyst are added to the the water, and the original DNA molecule is reconstructed; The structure of the two DNA molecules in France and Italy are then analysed and compared, and are found to be virtually identical. As they say, in theory this “is like making a photocopy without an original”, unless the homeopathic process of potentisation enables water to record information about material placed in it. This experiment follows in the footsteps of Jacques Benveniste, and it is a particularly striking demonstration of how it is possible for homeopathic remedies to be active despite not having any of the original material in them.

Membrane up-regulation of CD203c, which in these experimental conditions proved to be a more consistent activation marker than CD63, was significantly inhibited in samples treated with histamine at the dilutions of 2C (P = 0.001), 12C (P = 0.047), 14C (P = 0.003), 15C (P = 0.036) and 16C (P = 0.009). Control water dilutions/succussions did not show any significant effect.

Conclusion

Using a strictly standardized flow cytometry protocol and a new dilution/succussion procedure, we have shown that low and high dilutions of histamine inhibit CD203c up-regulation in anti-IgE stimulated basophils.

The online paper also describes the history of this type of experiment starting with a scientist named Benveniste and how modern methods have now shown indisputably that homeopathic high dilutions that are potentized have effect and that this experiment can be replicated successfully.

Two new studies conclude that a review which claimed that homeopathy is just a placebo, published in The Lancet, was seriously flawed.

George Lewith, Professor of Health Research at Southampton University comments: ‘The review gave no indication of which trials were analysed nor of the various vital assumptions made about the data. This is not usual scientific practice. If we presume that homeopathy works for some conditions but not others, or change the definition of a ‘larger trial’, the conclusions change. This indicates a fundamental weakness in the conclusions: they are NOT reliable.’

The background to the ongoing debate is as follows:

In August 2005, The Lancet then published an editorial entitled ‘The End of Homeopathy’, prompted by a review comparing clinical trials of homeopathy with trials of conventional medicine. The claim that homeopathic medicines are just placebo was based on 6 clinical trials of conventional medicine and 8 studies of homeopathy but did not reveal the identity of these trials. The review was criticised for its opacity as it gave no indication of which trials were analysed and the various assumptions made about the data. When Lancet was questioned about the study’s manipulation of data and the proclaimed anti-homeopathy bias of the individual who did the study, Egger, the editors responded, “We were aware of Dr. Eggers bias prior therefore it was accepted.”

Sufficient detail to enable a reconstruction was eventually published and two recently published scientific papers based on such a reconstruction challenge the Lancet review, showing that:

· Analysis of all high quality trials of homeopathy yields a positive conclusion.

· The 8 larger higher quality trials of homeopathy were all for different conditions; if homeopathy works for some of these but not others the result changes, implying that it is not placebo.

· The comparison with conventional medicine was meaningless.

· Doubts remain about the opaque, unpublished criteria used in the review, including the definition of ‘higher quality’.

The Lancet review, led by Prof Matthias Egger of the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine at the University of Berne, started with 110 matched clinical trials of homeopathy and conventional medicine, reduced these to ‘higher quality trials’ and then to 8 and 6 respectively ‘larger higher quality trials’. Based on these 14 studies the review concluded that there is ‘weak evidence for a specific effect of homoeopathic remedies, but strong evidence for specific effects of conventional interventions’.

There are a limited number of homeopathic studies so it is quite possible to interpret these data selectively and unfavourably, which is what appears to have been done in the Lancet paper. If we assume that homeopathy does not work for just one condition (Arnica for post-exercise muscle stiffness), or alter the definition of ‘larger trial’, the results are positive. The comparison with conventional medicine was meaningless: the original 110 trials were matched, but matching was lost after they were reduced to 8 and 6. But the quality of homeopathic trials was better than conventional trials.

This reconstruction casts serious doubts on the review, showing that it was based on a series of hidden judgments unfavourable to homeopathy. An open assessment of the current evidence suggests that homeopathy is probably effective for a number of conditions including allergies, upper respiratory tract infections and ‘flu, but more research is desperately needed.